Amid government shutdown of institutions, The Simpsons will kill nonessential character

As the government shutdown forces the shuttering of our national institutions and the dismissal of all nonessential personnel, not even The Simpsons will be spared, as one of the show’s characters will be let go this season. Executive producer Al Jean made the announcement during a recent conference call to discuss the series’ 25th season, the Sun News reports, as well as the effect the closing of America’s museums, parks, zoos, and Simpsons would have on the show. While adopting a predictably reserved position in not acknowledging the shutdown directly, Jean confirmed suspicions that a “regular character” would soon be let go in the form of being killed—much like what’s happening to the pandas at the National Zoo, now that the cameras have been shut off.

“I'll give you a clue that the actor playing the character won an Emmy for playing that character, but I won't say who it is,” Jean said in the practiced double-talk of all bureaucrats, knowing full well that all the main voice actors have won awards for playing their dozens of characters, alongside guest stars such as Kelsey Grammer and Anne Hathaway, and therefore he wasn’t offering any sensitive information. It’s also unclear what characters are classified as “regular” under the current Simpsons administration.

In more recent years, the show has killed off the likes of Maude Flanders and Fat Tony to resolve a pay dispute and do another one of those annoying, Armin Tamzarian-style resets, respectively, and each were considered “regular” characters. Anyone wishing to nominate a Simpsons character for death may do so by calling their congressman—since they’re not doing anything today—or by writing them on an Internet comment board, which is now the only form of government we have left.